Confessions of a Bookaholic: November 2010

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (November 30th, 2010)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 366 pages

Series: Matched, book #1

Source: Won

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Review: The world in Matched is one where the citizens have little to no control over each aspect of their lives. From their careers and children, to their spouses and death, each individual is at the power of the Society. People have learned over time that this is the best way to live and most never question what the Society decides. Cassia is at a turning point in her life; she's being matched. Her partner will be picked for her and she is excited to find out who is in her future. Once she discovers she is matched with her best friend Xander she is thrilled. Later, when she views her card at home, she sees another guy she knows, Ky, on the screen.

The idea behind this story is a fascinating one because it is a fear of most people. Many worry about not having control over certain aspects of their lives. The idea is to find out if you would fight the system or go along with what they decide. Going from the advice of her grandfather, Cassia begins questioning the intentions of the Society and the future of her and Xander.

Matched spends a lot of time explaining the way their world runs, which was needed, but I felt the story needed a little more action. Cassia is a great character but I would have liked to see a little more emotion from her. But I do understand that in this world emotions are not often seen. Ky and Xander were both great characters but I couldn't help but think that maybe Cassia was interested in Ky only because she was told he was to never be matched. Even with his quiet personality, it was obvious Ky cared for Cassia. On the other hand, Xander brought the life to the story for me. I enjoyed his playfulness and fun personality.

Ally Condie has a terrific writing style and her worldbuilding was amazing. Although Matched presented a completely altered world, it was easy to follow and understand how things worked. One of my favorite parts of the book involved Cassia's grandfather. Even though he isn't in much of the story, his personality carries a lot of significance in what Cassia feels throughout the book.

I'm excited to see what happens in the next book in this series. Matched leaves us with a lot of unanswered questions and I look forward to seeing how Cassia deals with the drama.

Overall- Matched will give readers an interesting take into a world controlled by others. Even with much of life having an order, love may break the ties and lead Cassia into a fight for her freedom.

Cover- I have to say that this is one of the best covers I have seen. The shimmer effect is beautiful and I love the simplicity and significance of it. Very nice! I hope the other covers in the series follow suit.

Find Ally Condie

Ally Condie / Twitter / Goodreads

Purchase Matched

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Book Trailer

Monday, November 29, 2010

Blog Tour: Interview with Sarah Ockler

1. Can you share with us something people would be surprised to find out about you?

Through Twitter and blogs, I'm such a chatterbox online that most people would be surprised to know that I'm pretty shy in real life. It takes me a while to warm up to a crowd and most social activities leave me a bit overwhelmed -- I'd much rather hang out with a close friend one-on-one. Maybe it would be different if everyone in real life was as fun and awesome as book bloggers, but I think you guys are a rare breed. :-)

2. You share a lot of "high school memories" on your blog. Can you tell us your most embarrassing high school moment?

Um, that would be the time I decided to tell my crush how much I loved him. In writing. In a four-page letter. I think I may have casually thrown in the word "soulmate." His "I'm really flattered" response was mortifying enough, but when his whole football team got hold of the letter... let's just say I had to feign the flu so I could miss a week of school until the drama died down. Fortunately we didn't have texting or the Internet back then, otherwise I think my faux pas would've gone viral!

3. Twenty Boy Summer involves a secret first love and a horrible tragedy that follows. Where did you get the inspiration for this book?

I was inspired to write Twenty Boy Summer by the teens I met through my work with the National Donor Family Council, and organization that supports families whose loved ones have died and donated organs or tissues. I wanted to share a little bit of their stories, their fears, their hopes, and their courage. But as I was writing about the tragedy, I was also thinking about how life goes on, even when we don't want it to. So even though Anna and Frankie are reeling from Matt's death, they're also still dealing with everyday life stuff like clothes and makeup, boys, best friend drama. It's all part of life, and that's what I wanted to write about.

4. What advice would you give teens who are currently struggling with high school and first love?

This sums it up right here: you're not alone. And it gets better. Just like with bullying or any other struggle in high school, things do get better. Whether you're suffering from a broken heart, dealing with harassment, stressed about grades or family stuff, or just trying to figure out where you belong in this world, you *have* to struggle with that stuff -- it's part of being alive and coming into your own. When you give up, that's it, it's over. But if you fight, struggle, question things, wrestle with the issues, if you can get through it, you'll come away stronger, wiser, and ready for things to get better. I don't mean to go all "After School Special," but I truly believe that. And besides, crappy high school experiences make for awesome YA books later in life! :-)

5. Fixing Delilah deals with complicated issues between a mother and daughter. What do you hope teen girls take from reading this book?

There is something important I hope both teen girls *and* their mothers take away from Fixing Delilah, and it's this: there is an entire world inside each of us -- our secrets, our hopes and fears, our dreams and wishes, our mistakes and shame, our life experiences. We can never know everything about another person, but we can assume that we have this in common: we're all capable of screwing up, and we're all capable of immense love. I hope that moms and daughters remember that and come away from Delilah's story with a new appreciation for one another, even when things aren't perfect.

6. Your books focus on new discoveries and secrets revealed over the summer. Why do you think summer is such a time of change and new beginnings?

Because most teens have summers off in between school years, it's naturally a time to reflect on the previous year and think about how things might be different in the coming year. On summer break, we're away from a lot of the people and pressures we're faced with every day at school, and having that distance often gives us a new perspective on how things are and how we want them to be. Returning to school each fall is like a forced fresh start -- new classes, new classmates, new challenges -- and we face it with the knowledge and experience we gained over the summer. We've all seen some of our classmates come back from a summer break completely transformed, often as if they're entirely new people. Summer just does that, I think.

7. Can you share with us any projects you are currently working on?

I'm currently working on a new young adult contemporary, but I'm not ready to share too much about it yet! I will tell you that unlike my first two novels, this one is set in the winter, and it features such things as cupcakes, ice skating, a pet hamster, and very adorable hockey boys. :-) I'll be chatting more about it soon, so you can visit my web site for updates in the next few weeks!

Thanks again for hosting me today, Jessica! I hope readers enjoy Fixing Delilah!

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (December 1st, 2010)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 320 pages

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.

She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?